Side Tracked
by Linda McWray
Summary: Sam and Bobby run into trouble at a teenage hangout.


Side Tracked by Linda McWray Chapter 1 

Bobby Drake, A.K.A. Iceman and Sam Guthrie, A.K.A. Cannonball, pulled out of the back lot of the home improvement store. Everything Sam and Rogue needed to fix her window, for the sixth or was it the seventh time, was loaded securely in the back hatch. 

Rogue had claimed that she was mad at Gambit, but time she saw him, she forgot all about it. She quickly arranged things so that she would end up going home with Gambit. Sam and Bobby ended up riding back together in her SUV in order for the 'love birds' to be together. 

A slight noise caught Sam's attention. It was the sound of Bobby's stomach growling. He laughed as Bobby tried to hold it in. "That only makes it louder Bobby." He chuckled. 

"I was in a hurry to get here before the place closed. I sort of forgot to grab something when Remy offered for me to drive his car." He admitted. "Anyway, I'm starved. Let's stop at one of those fast food places on the outside of town," said Bobby. 

Sam turned briefly from the road in front of him. "Bobby, we don't have Rogue's permission to drive her truck all over town." He focused back on the road with the upcoming stop light. 

"Oh com'mon Gurthrie, have a heart," he pleaded. "She did not say we couldn't either did she?" 

Sam pulled back off when the light turned green. He shook his head, No. "Bobby, No." 

"Look, we pass right by them going home anyway." 

Well he's got me there and I could go for a bite myself. Sam made a face at Bobby. Against his better judgment, Sam decided that maybe Bobby had a point. What could it hurt? "Is there one in particular you want to stop at?" 

Bobby smiled from ear to ear, "The one that the younger crowd hangs out at. I believe it is called Cindy's. I don't want to go eat anywhere a bunch of kids or gray-haired bench warmers can stare at me." 

"Careful," advised Sam. "Laughing is catching." 

"Yeah, yeah." Bobby rocked his head from shoulder to shoulder, echoing Sam's words of wisdom in his head. "Look!" He pointed towards a big blue with white lettering sign. "There it is on the right!" He exclaimed. "Turn in." 

Sam looked at Bobby out of the corner of his eye as he complied with his directions. To him, he'd always thought that Bobby was in reality a lot more mature than he let on with the X-Men. He reasoned that maybe 'class clown' was a way Bobby had found to fit in. Sam, himself, was in fact the youngest member of the team, by one or two years. In some ways, he acted a whole lot more mature. 

Maybe growing up poor had something to do with that. Growing up on a farm, Sam knew what it was like to have responsibility. Everyone in his family relied on each other to do their part in order to make a decent living for them all. Sam and his dad were farmers only on a part-time basis. Their full-time job existed in the dank and dismal Kentucky coal mines. That was one of the good things about joining the X-Men. The government allowances that every team member got enabled him to send money home to help out. His father was now able to stop working in the mines to devote all his time to farming. 

"Park over there." Bobby's voice woke him out of thought. 

"Park? I thought you wanted to get it to go?" 

"Nah ..." Bobby flipped down the mirror that was concealed in the upper right sun blind. "... Can't meet girls like that." He studied his reflection as he combed his tawny colored waving hair with his fingers. Then he winked at Sam. 

Girls? I thought he might have had an ulterior motive. He smiled back at him as he turned the SUV into one of the parking slots beside a small white car load of girls. 

Bobby climbed out as soon as Sam put the vehicle into park, then cut the engine. 

"Lock your door!" Reminded Sam as he climbed out also. 

"O.K." He called back to him. They both simultaneously locked then shut their doors. 

The noise caught the attention of the girls in the car next to them. They all turned away from the four guys standing on the other side of their car, to see what was happening next to them. 

Bobby came around to the back of the truck where Sam waited for him. "They're star'in Sam." Bobby smiled brilliantly back at one of the girls he spotted sitting in the back seat behind the driver. She blushed then smiled back at him, waving her fingers to him. "See?" He directed Sam's attention toward the car. 

Sam leaned forward so he could see what Bobby was talking about. That's when it happened. His eyes met directly with the driver of the car. He thought his heart would stop. Man, she's beautiful! Aqua blue eyes with slightly thick eye browse crowned a perfect nose and a full set of cherry colored lips. All framed by thick long auburn hair. Woe! 

"Sam?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Sam?" Bobby studied his partner. Cannonball had a blank stare on his face. 

Sam blinked repeatedly, then smiled, "She's gorgeous!" 

That's it, he's frozen. Bobby grabbed Sam by the arm. "Eat first, women later." He pulled him into step beside him toward the front entrance of Cindy's. 

Sam wiped his eyes hard as he tried to clear the vision of the girl he'd seen in the car. "What just happened?" He asked Bobby as the entered the restaurant. 

"You, my friend and fellow team mate, have just been hit by what they call, "The Lightning Bolt." 

Sam arched his brow at Bobby as they walked toward the maze at the front of the counter. "What?" 

"The Lightning Bolt." He looked at a curious Sam. "You never heard of it?" Sam shook his head, No. "It's when you feel an instant attraction for the opposite sex." Explained Bobby clinically. 

"Really?" 

"Really." 

"Wow, that was some'thin else." He raked his hands through his over long blonde hair. "I have to meet her." Sam made an abrupt U-turn in the line to head back out the door they'd just came in. Bobby caught him, he turned him back around in line. 

"Later Sam, I'm starving." Bobby held on to him, almost dragging him back through the maze until they'd reached to front of the counter. "She'll be there when we come out." 

"What makes you so sure?" He protested as he snatched his arm out of Bobby's grasp. 

"I noticed that she was hit too when she saw you. Besides, they are still watching us." Bobby smiled. "So calm down." 

"Oh." Sam's frown broke into a big smile. -------------------------------------------------- 

Chapter 2 

Bobby ordered several items off the menu. A large sandwich, hot dog, fries, shake and an apple turn over, was spread precariously on his tray. Sam on the other hand, had ordered, but could not bring himself to eat a thing. He watched in amazement as Bobby swallowed his food nonchantantly. 

"Ya gon'na eat that?" Bobby pointed to the untouched food on Sam's tray. 

Sam's stomach was in so many knots, he couldn't dare eat in fear that he would throw everything back up. "No, you can have it." 

"Thanks." Bobby grabbed the food from his tray. 

"Bobby, how can you eat at a time like this? I'm a nervous wreck." He admitted. 

Bobby looked at him. This is the same Cannonball that went head to head with Gladiator? He cocked his head to one side as he spoke, "Nervous? How in the world can you be nervous? You're an X-Men," he said down low. "We take our lives in our hands on an almost daily basis and you're nervous about meeting one girl?" Bobby was astounded. 

Sam dropped his gaze down to his lap where his hands rested. "It ain't the same and you know it." He answered Bobby back. 

Bobby took another bite before he spoke again, "Hum, I guess it ain't, but Sam all you need do is to be yourself." He took a slurp of his shake. "If she really likes you, she'll make it easy for ya." 

Sam looked up at Bobby, "How do you know all of this? You aren't much older than I am." 

"Yeah, but I've been with the X-Men longer. I guess they sort of rub off on yah after a while." He laughed. "Granted, I'm no lady killer like Gambit, Wolverine and Warren, but I know how to approach a girl I'm interested in." 

Sam smiled back, "Do you think we'll ever be as smooth as they are?" 

Bobby laughed again, "I doubt anyone will ever be as smooth as Remy. Women like Wolverine because he is dangerous. I think that they want to 'tame him.' And Warren ..." He winked "... Well I think it's got something to do with his wings that make him look like an angel that gets to them." 

Sam looked at him in surprise, "No kidding?" 

Bobby laughed at Sam's expression as he gathered what was left of his and Sam's meal on his tray. "Ready for the world Sam?" Asked Bobby as he stood up from their booth. 

"Ready as I'll ever be," said Sam as he followed him to one of the trash bins. 

Bobby paused to slip the contents of the trays into the bin before he turned back to Sam. "Let's freshen up first." 

"What?" 

"You can't make a good impression with food stuck in your teeth." 

Sam laughed as he followed Bobby down the narrow hallway to the men's room. Yelp, I've definitely pegged him right. He turns it on and off when he wants to. He smiled at Bobby's back. ----------------------------------------------- 

Chapter 3 

They exited the restaurant. Sam noticed that the car was still there. He also noticed that so were the four guys that were giving them hard looks earlier too. He paused, "Bobby, this could be trouble. What about our powers?" 

Bobby shook his head, No. "We want use them unless we have no other choice. They look like regular kids around our age. They're probably just kids from the local high school." He reasoned. "Besides, using powers might scare the girls off." 

Sam evaluated Bobby. He'd been correct in his thinking that Bobby only played the 'class clown'. He was a lot more mature then everyone gave him credit, well at least when it came to women. It was like Iceman too was acquiring the same air of confidence that the older members of the team possessed. I hope it's contagious, thought Sam. 

The four guys at the girl's car looked up at them as they approached. 

"Follow my lead," said Bobby down low enough for only Sam to hear. 

The girls in the car noticed them coming their way. Sharon, the cute blonde that caught Bobby's eye, hurriedly tapped Julie, the driver, on the shoulder to call her attention to them. 

"Let me out, here he comes!" She started pushing on the other girl's seat when she did not comply fast enough. 

"Hey!" Groused Julie, "Give me time!" She opened her door, then leaned forward to let her out. Beth and Angela stared at Sharon in amazement. 

"Why don't we all get out?" She leaned over near the other two remaining girls. "You two try to run interference with Rod," she whispered. "Pleeaassee," she begged. 

"All right," said Angela, "But you know how big of a jerk he can be." 

"Thanks," said Julie, "I owe you both." 

Everyone had filed out of the car by the time Sam and Bobby got to the back of Rogue's truck. 

Sharon was very direct with Bobby. She blocked his path to his side of the SUV. "Hi, what's your name?" She smiled brightly up at him. "I have not seen you around here before." 

Julie could not believe the gal Sharon had when it came to a guys. In truth, she was a little envious of her. If only I could talk to the guy's friend as easy? He's beautiful. 

"My name is Robert Drake, but my friends call me Bobby," he smiled down to her. Ooo, direct, short and petite. I like them like that. 

"My name is Sharon, Sharon Walters. My shy friend's name is Julie Alexander." She laid off her hand toward where her auburn hair friend stood. "By the way ..." She directed her next statement to Sam. "... She's nuts about you, but too shy to do anything about it." 

"Sharon!" Julie turned red as a beet at her friend's admission. 

Bobby laughed and Sam blushed then smiled. 

Bobby took a step backwards. He put his hand behind Sam's back, then shoved him over near where Julie stood near the front tire. "I know what you mean." He winked at Sharon. 

Both Julie and Sam were totally embarrassed by their friends actions. But Sam was glad for the help because he did not want his shyness to allow Julie to get away. 

He finally managed to say, "Hi." He stepped closer to her. "My name is Samuel Guthrie, Sam for short." He fidgeted, putting his hands in his pockets. 

She smiled, "Nice to meet you Sam." What to talk about? "This your truck?" She pointed at Rogue's SUV. 

"Nah, it's a friend of ours." 

Sam watched the guys that look like the other two girls were trying to keep busy. One in particular did not look too happy that he was talking to Julie. He gestured his head in his direction, "Your boyfriend?" 

Julie turned to look at the group of guys. "No, none of them." She turned back to Sam. 

She wrinkled her nose in an adorable fashion that caught Sam's breath. Man, she's pretty!" 

"You know the type ... captain of everything, thinks every women wants him." She laid off a hand in his direction. 

"Oh?" Sam stood straight up, "And you, how do you fit into that package?" Package? Where did that come from, thought Sam. 

Package? I like that line. "Sam, I don't fit at all. I've always liked the strong silent type. Still waters run deep." 

Woe! She liked my line. Let's hope I can come up with a few more. An air of confidence over took Sam. "Is it true what your friend Sharon said about how you feel about me?" Gosh, I hope so. 

Julie blushed then lowered her gaze, "Yeah." She admitted. 

It was as if someone else was controlling his body. He watched his index finger reach out, then tilt her head back up to look at him. "I feel the same way." 

She looked at him, eyes sparkling blue, hair softly blowing in the wind, lips parting. I hope he kisses me. She leaned slightly toward him. 

Sam watched as he began to automatically lower his mouth to hers. I don't believe I'm about to do this! 

"Hey!!" Someone yelled breaking their spell. Sam was jerked bodily away from Julie. "What do you think you're doing with my woman?" Sam looked up into a very big and very mad guy's face, wearing a dark blue and white letterman jacket. The front of the jacket was covered with all types of metals and awards. 

Aw ... Shoot! Not now! ----------------------------------------------------------- 

Chapter 4 

Sam had been thrown against the side of Rogue's truck by three of the four guys. They held him still as the fourth one pointed his finger in his face. Aw! ... Man, not now! 

"Rod, you, Danny, Paul and Chris leave him alone!" Shouted Julie. "I'm not your girl, never have been, never will be! What gives you the right to interfere?" She exclaimed as she pulled on Rod's coat sleeve. "Leave him alone!!" 

The loud voices and the scuffle caught Bobby's and Sharon's attention. They had walked around to the other side of the truck to get to know one another. They quickly came back to see what the ruckus was about. 

"What's up?" Asked Bobby. 

"Your friend is up... against his truck." They laughed. "Until he agrees to stay away from my woman! Isn't that right boys?" 

Rod made an awful face as the others agreed, "...Yeah Rod," "Whatever you say Rod," "Let's get him!" 

"Rod, you always get in a public place to try to show off! Julie has told you she's not interested!" Said Sharon from beside Bobby. "When are you going to realize that? Jerk!" 

Rod chuckled, "Not want me?" He laughed. "Every woman wants me. She just doesn't know it yet." 

Sam ignored everyone but Julie. "Let the lady speak for herself." He nodded in Julie's direction. She was totally distraught, almost near tears. "Do you want me to back off so you can have Rod? It's your call." He spoke evenly and calm. There it is again, that confidence. 

Bobby knew by the tone of his voice, that one way or another, something was about to go down. He leaned down to Sharon, "You get Julie and the others out of the way. He's leaving us no choice." 

Sharon nodded, "Be careful." She said before she walked over to Julie. She motioned for the other girls to help her pull her out of harm's way. 

"No! I want to stay with Sam!" She protested as the others began pulling her away from the approaching fight. 

"Sam?" The four guys laughed. "Who in the world would name their kid Sam?" 

Sam ignored the punks. He looked over at Bobby. "Powers or no Powers?" 

"Powers?" Asked Rod. Then it came to him. "Hey, they're a couple of Muties!" He yelled over to the girls. "This ought to be fun." 

Bobby sized up the four jerks that surrounded Sam. "Humm, no powers, but let's take it away from the truck. Rogue will be pissed." 

"Agreed, but I get Rod." Sam looked at the other boy with a slight grin. 

"Agreed." 

"I suppose it would not do any good to warn all four of you that my partner here ..." Sam nodded to Bobby. "... and I are trained fighters?" 

"I don't care if you're Bruce Lee reincarnated. No blasted Mutie is going to sachet in and take my woman!" Rod said as he drew his fist back. 

"I didn't think so." 

As soon as Sam's last word got out his mouth, Bobby took a running leap at the guys that held Sam against the truck. He hit one of the guys with a full body tackle. They landed on the grass in front of the vehicles. Another one of the guys released Sam to dive on Bobby's back, trying to help his friend that Bobby was now pounding. 

Bobby's action shocked Rod and Chris, the guy that still held Sam. Good O' Bobby. Just the distraction I needed. 

As predicted, they momentarily forgot about Sam. He used the opportunity to grab his now free hands, over top of Chris' braced arms. Quick as a flash, he head-butted Chris as hard as he could, without passing himself out. 

"Oh!" Cried Chris as he fell to the ground in pain. He rolled around, holding his head. 

Rod looked from Chris to where Sam stood against the truck smiling. "Why you ...!" He leaped for Sam. 

Sam stepped to the side with a hard upper cut to Rod's ribcage. He groaned with the punch, then fell back against Julie's car. 

Rod tried to come back at with a swing to Sam's jaw. He sharply darted to the right, out of the way as Rod's hand contacted with Rogue's side glass. 

The girls screamed as the glass shattered around Rod's clenched fist. His eyes opened wide with the shock of seeing what he'd just done. He mechanically pulled his now bloodied hand back out of the door. "You'll pay for this!!" He yelled to a now bouncing Sam at the back of the truck. 

Sam thought that maybe now Rod would listen to reason. "Look man, give it up! This has gone too far! This is stupid to continue this! You're only going to get hurt!" He looked at Rod's bloody hand. "You need medical attention for that hand." Rod sneered at him as he slowly move toward him. "You and your friends are no match for us." He gestured to where Bobby was dusting grass and dirt off his clothes. The two he'd fought were now stretched out on the ground. 

With an inarticulate scream, Rod dove at Sam. They landed hard against the pavement a few feet behind the truck. The wind was temporarily knocked out of Sam, but he recovered in time to flip Rod, like a quarter, over his head. Rod landed hard on his back a couple of feet from Sam. He laid there moaning. 

Bobby walked over to Sam to help him get up. "You know, I thought he'd listen." 

Bobby smiled as he pulled his friend up, "They never do." The sound of a police siren caught both their attention. "We've better go," said Bobby. "Get her number and let's scram! They'll lock us up for sure!" He added as he left his side to go say his good byes to Sharon. 

Sam nodded his head in agreement with Bobby. He dust himself off as he trotted back over to where Julie and the others stood. "Sorry about that." He gestured to where a dazed Rod was trying to get up off the pavement. 

"Is it true what he said about you two being Mutants?" 

"Does it matter?" 

"No." She smiled. "Thanks for fighting for me. That was cool." 

"You are welcome, but I have got to go. If the police get us, they'll lock us up and throw away the key because of who we are." 

Julie agreed. "I heard they did that." She placed a hand on Sam's neck to pull him to her. She kissed him lingerly on the jaw. "Here's my number." She placed a piece of paper in Sam's hand. 

He smiled to her as he pulled away, heading for the truck's door. "Call me!" She yelled out to him. 

"Is tonight too soon?" He yelled back to her. 

"No!" 

Julie and Sharon watched as the two guys they'd met hurriedly climbed into the truck. Sam put the truck into reverse, then pulled out of the parking lot just as the police arrived. 

The policemen climbed out of their cruiser. They surveyed the scene as four dazed and staggering guys came over to them. Rod, Danny, Paul and Chris tried to explain to the policemen that they were attacked by two mutant's that used their powers on them. 

The two policeman looked at them skeptically. "Really? Well where are they now? 

"They're gone! You just missed them! I can tell you what they were driving!" Explained Rod. 

The other policeman laughed. "No kidding?" 

His partner smiled, "We're not going to get any straight answers out of them." He looked around. "Miss?" He referred his question to Julie, "Can you help us clear something up?" 

"Sure officer." She walked over to him. 

"These four gentlemen claim that two Mutants attacked them. Is that what happened?" 

"Mutants? What Mutants? Did any of you see any Mutants?" She referred over to the other girls. They all shook their heads, No. 

Sharon came to stand beside her, "Officer ..." She pointed at the four. "... they're drunk!" 

"We thought so. O.K. boys, let's take a little ride down town." 

"Hey!" Protested Rod as the policemen started rounding them up. 

The four girls watched as Paul, Danny, Chris and lastly Rod were handcuffed then squeezed into their cruiser. They waited until the police car got out of sight before they rolled with laughter. 

"You know Rod will want revenge for being showed up like this," acknowledged Angela as she held her side from laughing. 

Julie smiled, "Who cares as long as I get Sam." ------------------------------------------------- 

Chapter 5 

Sam took one last look in Julie's direction as they left the parking lot. He could see in the rearview mirror that the cops had just pulled in from the other direction. Whew! That was close. 

Bobby was busy trying to get the glass out of his seat as he slightly raised up to brush it into the floor. "Man, I don't want to be the one to tell Rogue about her door glass." He looked over at Sam. "She's going to kill you," He said as he finally settled down into his seat. 

Sam frowned at him, "Kill me, what about you? It was your idea to stop." 

Bobby smiled, "Yeah, but I didn't know we were going to end up fighting the 'local yokoes' either." 

"Wasn't that Rod a piece of work?" Sam visibly shuddered as he thought of the crude young man. 

"You know, I know we aren't suppose to fight regular humans because we have an advantage, but it felt good to give them the once over." He hit his bruised fist into the palm of his hand. "Ow!" Bobby frowned as he made his knuckles go to ice form for comfort. 

"Yeah it did." Nodded Sam. "What was really great is that the girls didn't mind that we were Mutants. I guess that means that our work with the X-Men, is not for nothing." 

Bobby turned to him. "Sam?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Where did all that confidence come from?" He studied Sam. To Bobby, Sam had aged a lot within the last hour. 

"I don't know," he admitted. "It was there when I needed it most. I guess it is all part of being an X-Men. You stand up for what is right." 

"I feel the same way." He grinned. "Now aren't you glad we stopped?" Asked Bobby with a wry grin on his face. 

Sam let out a long breath of air as he stared into nothing, "Yeah," he breathed. 

"Well Sam, was she worth the tongue lashing from Rogue and the punishment from Cyclops that we are going to get in the morning?" 

Sam smiled to Bobby, "Every ... Single ... Bit." He answered as they headed for home. 

The End -------------------------------------------------- 

Side Tracked - Spoiler 

Hello everyone, it's me Linda McWray, time for some closing comments on my latest addition to my growing Fan Fiction listing posted on CST's site. 

Now I knew, way back when I wrote the scene in the home improvement store where Rogue dismisses Sam to go home with Gambit, that, that presented an opportunity for a spin-off to "Where To Draw The Line." 

This story, albeit short, centered around the younger members of the team, Bobby and Sam, with Sam being the main player. This was also an opportunity for me to sort of vindicate Bobby in a way. I played with the idea that he's just using a 'class clown' attitude to get noticed. I mean really, with characters around like Gambit, Storm, Rogue, Phoenix, etc.., It would be easy to get lost in the shuffle. 

I may do a continuation of this where Bobby and Julie actually go out on a date, but that's a long way down the road. I need to finish "Girl's Night Out" then get "Ya're What!" and "Which One Is She" off the proverbial ground first. 

Any who, I hoped you like this one too. 

Until next time, Peace Out and Happy Surfing. 

sign: Linda McWray 

PS: Remember to E-Mail me if you want to be put on my mailing list. :-) ----------------------------------------------------- 

Linda's Disclaimer: All characters that are contained in this story are the soul property of Marvel Comics. They are used without their permission and are meant for entertainment purposes only. No money has been or will be made from the use of any of the mentioned-to characters. 


End file.
